Chapter 4

4

Maverick bossed me around lately. "Peel me some grapes and grab a coffee."

I obeyed quietly, filled with guilt.

The car accident left me with minor scratches.

Maverick, though, broke his forearm, wincing in pain and glaring at me resentfully. "Road menace! You're just like Julian's apprentice!"

Julian had been in an accident once.

Not long after Belen left the country, he was so distraught he crashed into a roadside tree and spent two months recovering in the hospital.

Thinking of Maverick's words from yesterday, I asked casually. "Why did he crash back then?"

Maverick waved it off, raising his casted arm, which looked a bit comical. "Don't bring it up. It was over Belen. He snuck off to see her abroad, came back like he'd lost his soul. Look at that pathetic guy. Haven't seen him lately, no idea what he's up to. He didn't even check in after my accident."

So Julian knew but didn't send a single word of concern.

Since that night, our chat history had frozen at his message. "I'm waiting outside."

I wasn't even worth his care.

Seeing me silent, head down, Maverick glanced boredly at the hydrangeas on the table. "Hey, aren't those flowers your treasure? Why aren't they in a vase?"

Julian hadn't contacted me, but the weekly flowers still arrived at the house on time.

I stood, grabbed them all, and tossed them in the trash.

Maverick looked confused. "They're blooming fine. Why throw them out?"

They weren't my favorite kind, but because Julian sent them, I'd trim and water them with care.

No matter how much effort I put in, cut flowers without roots always withered quickly.

I smiled at Maverick. "Since they're doomed to wilt, no matter how much I like them, they won't last. Throwing them out now or later makes no difference."

Maverick, being my brother, noticed my low mood and said he'd take me out to cheer up.

Only when we arrived did I realize it was Belen's welcome party.

We grew up together. She was sweet and pretty, with a soft, charming voice, always everyone's favorite.

Even Maverick, arm in a cast, insisted on going.

The Lambert family, top-tier elite, threw a lavish event.

The venue overflowed with lilies of the valley, freshly flown in from abroad, clearly costing a fortune.

Maverick got pulled into a card game with friends the moment we arrived.

I sat alone in a corner, my eyes uncontrollably searching for Julian.

A figure in a white gown appeared in my view.

It was Belen.

Three years apart, she'd grown even more beautiful.

Gone was her youthful innocence; now she carried the poised elegance of a heiress.

She spotted me and greeted me excitedly. "Sonya! It's been forever!"

My feelings were complicated.

I didn't hate Belen. Growing up, we were the only two girls our age in our circle, and she was decent to me.

But she was too likable. Adults praised her smarts and charm, boys preferred her company, making me feel like a drab duckling.

Worse, Julian liked her.

I couldn't name my emotions, but they weren't good.

A buried thorn in my heart seemed to ache again.

After brief small talk, maybe because it had been too long or because I was bad at conversation, an awkward silence fell.

I glanced around, grasping for a topic. "The lilies are beautiful."

She plucked one casually and said, "Julian got them from Seavelt. No idea how he knew I love lilies of the valley. They're rare here. I can't believe he managed to get so many."

They were my favorite too, delicate and short-lived, their soft stems easily damaged.

Over half would be ruined in transit, yet Julian secured this many, no doubt with great effort.

He never sent me lilies. My fault, really-I never shared my preferences.

I recalled visiting his office once. His assistant, smiling, asked what flowers I liked.

Blinded by the illusion of happiness, I missed the hint and said I loved anything he sent.

Looking back, the assistant picked them.

Mostly blue, her favorite suit color.

The deliveries never stopped, probably because he forgot to tell her.

It hit me late that he didn't even bother to learn my tastes.

Yet he went out of his way to discover Belen's, pulling strings to please her.

I remembered texting him that the flowers were beautiful, that I loved them.

He'd reply, "Whatever you like, I'll get it for you."

He didn't even know their color.

People lie. Details don't.

Love shows in details. So does the absence of it.